San Francisco 49ers star tight end George Kittle will miss at least four games after being placed on the injured reserve list because of a hamstring injury, the team announced Tuesday.

Kittle injured the hamstring in the first half of the 49ers' season-opening win at Seattle on Sunday after he had caught four catches for 25 yards and a touchdown.

In his place, Jake Tonges and Luke Farrell will handle the tight end duties until at least the Week 6 game against Tampa Bay. Tonges, who grew up in the Bay Area, caught the game-winning touchdown pass on Sunday, his first career TD.

Kittle, a six-time Pro Bowl selection who holds multiple league and franchise records, has produced back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons and is considered one of the game's elite pass-catching tight ends. His blocking is also a major part of the San Francisco run game, and he has stated that one of his favorite things to do in football is to bowl over or "pancake" defenders on running plays.

Since signing with the 49ers in 2017, San Francisco has a 64-50 record when Kittle is in the game, versus a 7-12 record when he is out, according to StatMuse. Kittle missed three games in 2024 because of separate hamstring injuries.

Earlier this year, Kittle signed a four-year, $76.4 million contract extension, making him the highest-paid tight end in the league.